Fewer Steelhead Returning To Idaho

Twenty-six percent more steelhead returned to the Columbia River this fall than a year ago, but the number reaching Idaho is falling just short of the 1996 count.

And fishing success in Idaho is also down from a year ago. The season runs through the end of the month.

The Idaho Fish and Game Department said nearly 258,000 fish crossed Bonneville Dam this fall compared to 204,000 last year.

But the count at Lower Granite Dam just below Lewiston was only 80,500 through Nov. 24, compared to 82,000 a year earlier. Less than 9,000 more steelhead were expected across Lower Granite by the end of this season’s run.

Fish and Game creek clerks report that anglers have caught 2,695 fish so far this year, averaging 19 hours of fishing for each catch. In 1996, 2,831 fish were caught for a statewide average of just over 16 hours fishing per catch.